Legend of the White Haired Maiden

[foxs]

Several days after the treaty meeting on the prairie, Zhuo Yihang bade his farewell from Tang Nu. His heart was brimming with blissfulness. He knew Yu Luocha was frequently by his side, like the stars of the night stealthily watching over him. Perhaps tonight, perhaps tomorrow morning, she would suddenly appear in front of him, without him even need to say anything.

Thereupon Zhuo Yihang wandered around the prairie again, looking forward for that 'miracle' to happen. However, ten days passed, and then half a month, and then a month, two months, the sun arose and the sun set, the stars in the sky came and went, nights passed, new days began; time raced on, yet there was no trace of her. The prairie was boundless, from beginning to end, Yu Luocha's shadow never appeared. Zhuo Yihang gradually fell into despair. He remembered Xin Longzi, he remembered the two immortal flowers on top of the Camelback Peak. Thereupon he traversed the grassland once again, thinking that he would return to the Camelback Peak of Muztagata Mountain, to wait for the flowers to bloom, to wait for her to appear.

While wandering around the prairie, Zhuo Yihang suddenly discovered a 'miracle', but it was not the 'miracle' he had hoped for; rather, he found a mark left by Jianghu character. It was some strange looking patterns drawn on a rock. Sometimes it was an arrow symbol on the meadow, as if someone was trying to give direction to his companion. Zhuo Yihang was confident of his own skill, plus he was courageous, so he did not pay attention to these marks.

One day he was walking on a sandy desert area, the sun was scorching overhead, the air was stifling hot, when suddenly a gale blew, the yellow sand of the desert rose up all around him. Zhuo Yihang knew that sandstorm on the desert was dangerous; if one was not careful, one might be buried alive by the moving sand dunes. Fortunately all these years he had had some experience regarding the desert sandstorm. He quickly looked for a place where he could hide from the blowing sand. In the midst of the storm, he suddenly saw several riders galloping fast.

The sandstorm was only a hot blast of wind flitting across the desert, it came swiftly, it also ended swiftly. In just the time needed to cook rice, the storm already passed. Zhuo Yihang quickly went out of his hiding place, he was hoping that he could leave the desert area as early as possible and reach the grassland area before dark, to find food and water.

Suddenly he heard the noise of battle transmitted by the desert breeze. Zhuo Yihang mused, "Could it be those Jianghu characters are tracking down their enemy into the desert and overtaking them, they are trying to make a kill?"

In his curiosity he followed the noise and saw a young woman was running in front, being chased by two men. The woman was running swiftly, but the pursuers were able to overtake her. Three shadows were engaged in a fierce battle on the desert. Zhuo Yihang muttered to himself, "This time I'd better investigate clearly before getting myself involved. I must not act like the last time, thinking of saving a merchant from horse thieves, I was helping bad people instead."

As Zhuo Yihang got near, when he looked up, he was shocked, because the men pursuing the young woman were unexpectedly Shen Dayuan and Shen Yiyuan, the twin Shen brothers. Zhuo Yihang felt very strange. 'Has Zhang Xianzhong's army been defeated by the imperial army and is disbanded? Otherwise how can those two living treasures be on this desert? Who is the young woman they are pursuing?'

Zhuo Yihang was just about to pull his sword when he suddenly heard that young woman call loudly, "Zhuo Dage!" Zhuo Yihang could not help but was startled; he heard the young woman call again, "I am Luhua! Dage, hurry up and help me!"

In an instant Zhuo Yihang was feeling pleasantly surprised; this young woman turned out to be martial uncle White Stone's daughter. He remembered how they met on Mount Song for the very first time, when she was only seven or eight years old, now she looked so tall! He wondered if martial uncle White Stone was also here?

He was surprised, delighted and anxious at the same time, but Zhuo Yihang did not have time to leisurely ponder about his options. The Shen Brothers' martial art skill was no trifling matter, facing their converging attack, He Luhua was truly surrounded by perils. Zhuo Yihang let out a loud shout and pulled his sword.

With his strange laughter Shen Dayuan said, "It is truly by fate that we did not meet each other anywhere else but here!"

"Why do you bully my little Shimei?" Zhuo Yihang shouted harshly.

Shen Yiyuan laughed aloud and said, "Even your Shishu we still want to bully; so what?"

Zhuo Yihang was angry, unfolding his swordsmanship, he thrust the sword straight ahead, engaging the Shen Brothers in a fierce battle in the desert! The Shen Brothers did not expect that after several years they had not met each other, Zhuo Yihang's martial art skill would advance this much. The sword in his hand danced like a whirlwind, like a divine dragon frolicking in the river, or a magical bird fluttering in the wind; not only it flowed smoothly from one style to the next, each move was both pressing and thoroughly swift and fierce, so that even with such high level or martial art skill, the Shen Brothers found it difficult to resist.

Actually, by fighting two against one, even if the Shen Brothers may not necessarily able to prevail over their opponent, they would at least be able to gain a slight advantage; however, there was He Luhua. Although her swordsmanship was far inferior to Zhuo Yihang's, He Luhua was after all Wudang Pai's direct disciple. Her moves were exceptionally clever, oftentimes she would take the opportunity when the enemy was hard pressed by Zhuo Yihang by launching a sudden attack from the side, disturbing the enemy's concentration, that the two Shen Brothers were helpless to fend off.

After fighting for a while, Shen Yiyuan was hit by the sword that he repeatedly drew back. Shen Dayuan lost the appetite to continue the fighting, protecting his younger brother, they turned around and fled.

Zhuo Yihang did not pursue, he anxiously asked He Luhua, "How did you end up fighting them? Is Shishu White Stone coming?”

He Luhua used her sleeve to wipe clean the sand from the storm from her face, she said with a laugh, “How can I dare to wander alone beyond the Great Wall if father wouldn’t be coming?”

Zhuo Yihang felt like a deer had hit his head, his heart was thumping madly. Meanwhile He Luhua continued, “Er Shibo[5] still wants you back to be our Sect Leader, he sent my Father to come here and find you. Jiejie has left home[6]. For the last several years brother-in-law stayed on Mount Wudang, but now he has returned to his home school, Emei; Jiejie is going with him. Father only has me now, he is very lonely. I am tired of living on Mount Wudang, so I badgered him to take me beyond the Great Wall to broaden my horizons. He could not stand my nagging him, so in the end he agreed to take me along.”

He Luhua was bright and so full of life, with a tad of mischievous spirit, she was so different from her quiet elder sister. Zhuo Yihang did not say anything, his mind was churning, wondering what he would say to his Shishu when they met.

He Luhua added, “When we reached the desert, we did not have enough water left in our water pouch. There was a small mountain over yonder, and we vaguely saw a mountain cave, Father said that perhaps there is a spring in the cave, so he went to find some water. He noticed I was dead tired, so he told me to just wait over here. Unexpectedly, Father has not left long when the storm came. I hid in a small gutter to take shelter from the wind. When the storm stopped, I saw those two men. I don’t know how they knew my father’s name. They ran after me. If it were not for you, I would be in such a horrible state. Those two men look like the pair of Wuchang[7] Ghost statues in the temple on Mount Wudang.”

Zhuo Yihang looked up into the distance and sure enough, he saw a tiny hill not too far away. This desert was located between two grasslands, so it was unlike other deserts, which have yellow sand as far as eyes can see. Zhuo Yihang looked around for a moment, and then he suddenly said, “Shishu is usually astute, that small hill is not too far away from here; why didn’t he hear your cry?”

“You are right,” He Luhua said, “I don’t understand.”

Hastily Zhuo Yihang and He Luhua ran to the small hill; yet after searching everywhere they still did not see even Priest White Stone’s shadow. They found the cave, but it was so small that at most only one person could go in; besides, the inside of the cave was full of sand and stones blown by the wind. Zhuo Yihang secretly felt very strange. While he was considering calling out his Shishu, suddenly he heard He Luhua’s startled scream.

Such is: even knowing the danger of the wind and the cloud over the desert from the start, bizarre changes are not easy to guess

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[5]Second (older) martial uncle.

[6]i.e. getting married.

[7]Chinese Grim Reaper – ghost taking away the soul after death.

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That's it, folks, I am out of material and have to take a short break, hopefully for not too long.

[SkyWalker]

Thanks for the update foxs.

The story is losing its focus on YLC now...too much ZYH!!!!!

[miltiades]

Thanks for the update foxs!

As for the deer and the cauldron, it is a good read depending on what you're looking for. In the condor hero series, the basic philosophy is that by doing what is right, the hero eventually gains divine martial arts skills, subdues the bad guys, rules the martial world in justice, etc. It's a light-hearted story with a lot of focus on what is morally right with the premise that what is morally right is always rewarded in the end. The characters also tend to be simple: either cast as absolute good or absolute evil.

The deer and the cauldron is a bit darker and more of a literary work as opposed to a light-hearted story. What is morally right often has no reward and usually gets the hero hurt or killed. So, they never obtain quite the same status as they do in condor heroes. The deer and the cauldron also has a central theme of the common people getting stuck between the emperor and the invaders. One or the other is always tormenting them . . . there is no rest for them. There is no absolute good or evil characters here, but somehow whatever happens usually turns out to be bad for the common people.

It is a good read and well worth the time in my opinion - I'm just warning you that it's quite different from Jin Yong's other works. Best thing is to get a copy and make your own decision.

Milt

[rati4u]

Foxs............whr r u???????? waiting for uuuuuuuuuuuuu

[foxs]

I am here ... I am here .... Sorry, just don't have enough material to post. I am afraid it will be like this till the end of the novel ... rather irregular. Anyway, here is the first part of Chapter 31, the second from last chapter. And oh, Skywalker, I am afraid we are stuck with Zhuo Yihang for quite a while.

---------------------------------------
Chapter 31
Sending hatred away to the horizon
Myriads of thoughts to consider
Qin melody flying over the great desert
Misunderstandings abound
(Translated by Foxs, Edited by Eliza Bennet)

Zhuo Yihang looked everywhere, but failed to see even Priest White Stone's shadow; suddenly He Luhua cried out in alarm. Zhuo Yihang quickly came over to see, He Luhua pushed aside the thinly spread weeds outside the cave, she pointed down. Zhuo Yihang faintly saw a few drops of blood on the sandy stone.

He Luhua's countenance changed. "Could it be that my father has been murdered?" she said with a tremor in her voice.

Zhuo Yihang was also shocked; he stooped down to examine carefully. Other than these bloodstains, he could not see anything out of ordinary. Putting up a cheerful expression he laughed and said, "Hua Mei, don't worry, if Shishu White Stone were murdered, there would be a lot more than these few drops of blood."

"But where did he go?" He Luhua asked.

"The storm in the desert is quite strong," Zhuo Yihang explained, "Oftentimes the wind would blow and change the shape of the sand dunes, so that people and animal can easily lose their bearings. Perhaps he was out looking for you, but lost his way on this great desert. Quite possibly he went out to look for you and was lost in the great desert. Those few drops of blood probably came from a minor cut when his skin was scraped by a rock."

He Luhua thought his explanation made sense; she said, "When those two bandits saw me, they mentioned father's name. Perhaps they have some enmity with my father? If they have companion nearby, when father went out to look for me, won't he bump into them?"

"I know those two bandits," Zhuo Yihang said, "Our Sect and they are how the water of the well does not mix with the water of the river, normally there should not be any enmity between us. Besides, Shishu's swordsmanship is exquisite, his martial art skill is strong, he shouldn't worry over those few small thieves. I am more afraid that he is lost."

Thereupon the two of them looked high and low over the desert, but after half a day, they still could not find his tracks. The red sun was starting to set on the western horizon, the cold wind was starting to rise.

Zhuo Yihang said, "Shishu is an adult, he won't get lost. Perhaps because he could not find you, he has already crossed the desert to the grassland over there. Right now the day is almost spent, the desert cold is difficult to bear, moreover, we did not bring any tent, spending the night on the desert will be most uncomfortable. Let us also hurry to cross to the prairie over there."

This desert was located in between two grasslands, so before long the two of them had already reached the prairie. By this time the evening had fallen, stars rose over the grassland, far away on the horizon the Tianshan seemed to reach the sky; its peaks were white with snow, in the dim light of the night the peaks glittered like sparkling crystals. The cold wind blew, sweeping over the grassland. Antelopes were galloping on the grass, bald eagles were circling high in the sky, it was a perfect picture of a night beyond the Great Wall.

Zhuo Yihang gazed on the stars above as he was leisurely lost in thought. Suddenly he sighed and said, "I haven't seen you for ten years, you have grown this big. Time passes so quickly, how can't we be sad?"

He Luhua looked up and said with a smile, "Zhuo Dage, how come you do not seem to grow older? You look exactly the same as in the past, only a little bit darker. I still remember when you went up Mount Song for the first time, father wanted you to meet my Jiejie, you were so shy and timid like a big girl. My Jiejie and I laughed at you behind your back. Ay, that time you carried me and accompanied me playing. Do you remember?"

"How can I forget?" Zhuo Yihang said with a bitter smile. At that time, if not for Priest White Stone who deliberately complicated the issue, Yu Luocha and he would not have to go through these many conflicts.

"Zhuo Dage," He Luhua said, "Don't you want to go home?"

"The prairie beyond the Great Wall is my home," Zhuo Yihang said, "Why would I want to go back?" After being lost in thought for half a day, he asked He Luhua, "How is our Wudang Pai nowadays? Is Er Shibo's[1] body and spirit well?"

He Luhua sighed and said,"After you left, Er Shibo stayed in the Cloud Room all day long, he did not want to come out easily. He is growing old, last autumn he was seriously ill, he repeatedly told my father to go find you and bring you back. The mountain was a lot quieter, not bustling with activities like before."

Listening to this, Zhuo Yihang could not help but heave a deep sigh as well. In that instant the image of Priest Yellow Leaf suddenly flitted across his mind. His eyes stern, yet full of hope seemed to stare at him. Suddenly Zhuo Yihang felt that although his several martial uncles were loathsome, they were also pitiful.

"Dage," He Luhua asked again, "You really don't want to go back?"

Zhuo Yihang looked up to the stars and quietly said, "Um, I won't!"

"Have you found her?" He Luhua suddenly asked.

Zhuo Yihang's heart was shaken. "Who?" he asked.

He Luhua laughed, she said, "Who in the world does not know about Dage and Yu Luocha's affair? Do you still need to ask? It's a pity I have never seen her. All Shishu said that she is our school's public enemy, Father hates her even more, only Jiejie has never said anything bad about her."

With a bitter laugh Zhuo Yihang asked, "What about you?"

"I have never seen her," He Luhua replied, "How would I know? Although all of our school's Shishu and Shixiong curse her as a demoness, I actually think that as a woman she is able to dominate Wulin, whatever they say, she is an outstanding woman who is superior to men."

Zhuo Yihang laughed at her comment. He Luhua continued, "Dage, is it true that you want to grow old and die together with her beyond the Great Wall?"

"I haven't found her," Zhuo Yihang replied, "No, actually, she comes and goes like the desert wind, swirling the yellow sand, and swiftly pass."

He Luhua stuck out her tongue. She laughed and said, "In that case, Dage, you have to be careful. It won’t be fun if you are buried under the swirling sand!"

The prairie wind was getting colder, the night was getting darker, the chill crept into their bodies. Zhuo Yihang saw a flicker of fire some distance away. "It looks like some herdsmen are building a fire to keep themselves warm over there. The herdsmen of the prairie are most hospitable, we'd better join them to pass the cold night."

When they were near, they saw a large group of Kazakh people gathered around a bonfire, with a dozen or so camels scattered around them. There were bundles of merchandise on the back of these camels. Apparently they were not herdsmen, but a caravan of merchants passing through the desert. Some of them understood Chinese. Seeing Zhuo Yihang and He Luhua come near, they looked surprised. Zhuo Yihang said that after the sandstorm they lost their way. Immediately some of them gave up their places to let the visitors sit.

The traveling merchants of the desert considered camels as their homes; they did not have a fixed address, therefore, they travelled around as a family. Also, because of the danger on the desert, more often than not several families would travel together as a caravan, so their lifestyle was more or less similar to nomadic tribes. Kazakh people loved singing and dancing, there were several young people and children circling around the bonfire, singing loudly. One of them, a young woman, had a very beautiful voice. Soon the chorus turned into a solo, a young man accompanied the singing with a huqin[2]. Zhuo Yihang had been on the prairie for several years, he had quite a good understanding of their language. He heard the young woman was singing:

The storm swirls the yellow sand,
the circling eagle on the horizon wishes to sweep down,
My brother, you are like that eagle on the horizon,
although you are not afraid of the sandstorm,
you do not wish to come down!

The storm swirls the yellow sand,
the circling eagle on the horizon wishes to sweep down,
It's not that I am not afraid of the sandstorm,
My sister, it is because I want to see your face
that I ride on the wind to seek for your home!

The sound of the qin was clear and beautiful, the singing sounded heroic yet touching; Zhuo Yihang listened with a blank expression on his face, as if he was drunk. He thought to himself, "It's a pity I am not an eagle. She is the eagle, but she is unwilling to ride the wind to seek me."

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[1] Second (older) martial uncle.
[2] Two-stringed fiddle.

[foxs]

As for the deer and the cauldron, it is a good read depending on what you're looking for. In the condor hero series, the basic philosophy is that by doing what is right, the hero eventually gains divine martial arts skills, subdues the bad guys, rules the martial world in justice, etc. It's a light-hearted story with a lot of focus on what is morally right with the premise that what is morally right is always rewarded in the end. The characters also tend to be simple: either cast as absolute good or absolute evil.

Thank you for your advice. But aren't most stories like that? i.e. good vs. evil, hard work will be rewarded, etc. IMHO, it's not Jin Yong; even Disney has the same philosophy.

It is a good read and well worth the time in my opinion - I'm just warning you that it's quite different from Jin Yong's other works. Best thing is to get a copy and make your own decision.

Honestly, although I can say that I love wuxia, I have not read too many stories. (I know, shocking ... isn't it? ) From what I have read, I failed to see the similarity of the stories (except the main points you mentioned above); therefore, I would not know what will make any particular Jin Yong's work differ from the other.

What I am looking for right now is this:

1. How different is Minford's work from the original? I do not want to re-invent the wheel. If his work is very close, i.e. we won't gain anything new, why re-translate it? As a matter of fact, one of spcnet members has sent me a soft copy of Minford's work. Even if I read it, I still won't get the answer to this question.

2. Is there anybody out there who has never read it, and would like to read it along with me? Let's face it, my motivation in translating it is so that I can share it with you. If it is only for my benefit, why translate?

[SkyWalker]

Thanks for the update foxs. Nice to see you back.

"How can I forget?" Zhuo Yihang said with a bitter smile. At that time, if not for Priest White Stone who deliberately complicated the issue, Yu Luocha and he would not have to go through these many conflicts.

ZYH shouldn't be blaming anybody but himself for what happened btwn him & YLC. Yes, the Wudang priests did their share of damages but it was ultimately him would have to make the final decisions and every single time, he failed YLC.

Suddenly Zhuo Yihang felt that although his several martial uncles were loathsome, they were also pitiful.

I think ZYH should show more concern for the sect and his martial uncles & brothers than just pity. He did live with these people since he was a little boy. They're like family. He just casts all his responsibilities aside and just doesn't give a damn.

Is there anybody out there who has never read it, and would like to read it along with me? Let's face it, my motivation in translating it is so that I can share it with you. If it is only for my benefit, why translate?

I would be interested in reading it if you're willing to translate. Looking forward to it.

[miltiades]

Thanks for continuing the story foxs!

Unfortunately I do not know Chinese, so I cannot compare Jin Yong's work to Minford's translation.

Milt

[Wanlie Tong]

I read the first and third volumes of Minford's translation about three years ago. At that time the second volume was hard to find and prohibitively expensive so I never bought it. I was surprised to see on Amazon that now the third volume is the outrageously expensive one.

I have read a number of criticisms of Minford's translation. Since I can't read Chinese I can't speak as to the accuracy of the translation or how well Minford captured the essence of the novel. Leaving those issues aside, on its own the translation as a literary work was readable but not particularly good in my opinion. (One thing I disliked was that Minford translated names so that Wei Xiabao for example is called Trinket in Minford's version.)

If you decide to translate the Deer and the Cauldron I think that would be great both for me personally having missed about 1/3 of the novel and for those who haven't had the opportunity to read any of the novel due to the rarity of copies Minford's translation.

[zhouyu]

Quote:
"How can I forget?" Zhuo Yihang said with a bitter smile. At that time, if not for Priest White Stone who deliberately complicated the issue, Yu Luocha and he would not have to go through these many conflicts.

ZYH shouldn't be blaming anybody but himself for what happened btwn him & YLC. Yes, the Wudang priests did their share of damages but it was ultimately him would have to make the final decisions and every single time, he failed YLC.


Quote:
Suddenly Zhuo Yihang felt that although his several martial uncles were loathsome, they were also pitiful.

I think ZYH should show more concern for the sect and his martial uncles & brothers than just pity. He did live with these people since he was a little boy. They're like family. He just casts all his responsibilities aside and just doesn't give a damn.



ZYH actually had it really tough. Much tougher than people give him credit for. On one hand, they say that he is heartless and can't commit to YLC. On the other hand, they say he should show more concern for Wu Dang since he lived there since he was a little boy.

I personally would also have problems, just like most people out there. That time period values family above all else. Wu Dang is like his family. If your parents forbid you to get into a relationship with a girl, and is willing to end their relationship with you and expel you from the family, would you still marry the girl? That is not an easy decision even now (with the modern values), but imagine in the past. I understand YLC is the main hero in the story and hence people side with her, but come on. Let's be realistic here.

[Han Solo]

Late reply.

Been away for a while.

John Minford's translation is abridged and it is pretty hard to read- it doesn't flow naturally, and there are many criticism of this translation.

Han Solo
P/s: I lost all 3 volumes of the Minford translations and other books when my friend's garage got robbed.

[foxs]

Thank you all for all your comments. As long as I know there will be people like you who will enjoy the translation, I'll do it. But please be forewarned: it will be slow. I heard the story is a long one. I checked qiqi.com and found it has 54 chapters. If each chapter is as long as the Trilogy, it might take me several years to finish.
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The Kazakh people continued singing and dancing for a while, and then one of the young people said, "We invite the two guests that come from a distant place to also sing a song for us." Immediately someone handed the huqin to He Luhua, inviting Zhuo Yihang to sing first.

Zhuo Yihang's heart was filled with misery, obviously he was not in the mood to sing or dance; however, it was Kazakh people’s etiquette and if the guest does not sing, the host may think that the guests are dissatisfied. Left without any choice, Zhuo Yihang sang:

Gazing on the moon in despair, the scenery turned into anxiety,
Like the desolate sound of a bao se[3],
a broken-hearted man blames most of his feelings to the pain of separation,
on the brink of ascending the jade-blue mountain or crossing the distant river.

Lifting up the eyes to the unending waves of withering grass,
Sitting by the table in the dead of the night to clear away the burden.

The yellow leaves will fall without any wind,
Autumn cloud looming overhead without any rain.
If the Heaven has passion, the Heaven will also grow old,
Hidden hatred is difficult to be shaken away.

Regret and despair make former happiness feel like a dream,
When one awakes, it's nowhere to be found.

When he was singing 'If the Heaven has passion, the Heaven will also grow old', tears were flowing down from his eyes, his voice turned a bit hoarse. On the Bright Moon Gorge, Yu Luocha had said to him, 'Ever since the beginning of time, has there been any eternally young person? I tell you, if Laotianye[4] was just like a mortal, full of considerations and anxieties, even Laotianye will grow old! Each time we see each other we quarrel, the next time you see me, I am afraid I will be a white-haired old granny!' Unexpectedly those were prophetic words, which now had become reality. Zhuo Yihang sang this poem (a famous poem, A Full River, composed by Sun Zhu of the Song Dynasty) because he remembered his feelings toward Yu Luocha. It was after he sang that he realized his song was not in harmony with the joyous atmosphere of the night.

When the song finished, everybody looked gloomy. Although most of Kazakh people did not understand Chinese, they could hear the sadness of the melody. He Luhua mused, "Others are reveling in gaiety, yet you sang this kind of song!" Without waiting to be invited by the Kazakh people, she volunteered, "I want to sing a song too!"

Asking Zhuo Yihang to play the qin, she sang:

Before the evening breeze the willow branch droops while the moon arises on the horizon.
Very quietly the golden hook adjusts the blinds, the silver cup extinguishes the lamp.
Sleeping in the spring time on the embroidered bed, the fragrant musk of deer orchid adorns the folding screen.
Suddenly footsteps are heard outside the window shutters.
I do not see my beloved, only a meddlesome person hiding in the winding corridor.
I push the dual-pane window to scold the frivolous person, but see from behind the bamboo shade, blown by the wind the fragrant flowers fall.
I sigh in wishful thinking, how many more demons of temptation will come into the depths of lady’s chamber?

It was a popular folksong of the Jiangnan; her voice seemed to linger in the air, the melody was lively. As soon as she finished singing, the mood was reversed. The Kazakh youth said, "Miss sings really well!" And he gave the precious huqin to He Luhua to show his respect. Zhuo Yihang told her that it was a Kazakh's custom, so she must not decline. With a big grin on her face He Luhua accepted.

Several Kazakh youths had very good impressions toward her, they all crowded around her to engage her in conversation. He Luhua asked, "Where are you from?"

A youth who understand Chinese replied, "We are from Yili[5], we had just passed through the Taklamakan desert!"

He Luhua had an idea, "During your journey today, did you by any chance see a Taoist priest?" And then she described her father's appearance in detail.

"Oh," the Kazakh youth said, "We did. Is he your traveling companion? That Taoist priest looked really strange, he was riding on a horseback with an angry look on his face, as he travelled in the midst of a group of Lamas."

"What?" He Luhua was surprised, "Lama!" Her father had never had any good relation with any Lama!

"That's right," the Kazakh youth replied, "We also felt it is unusual for a Han Taoist priest to mingle with Tibetan Lamas, it struck us as very strange. Those Lamas also rode on horsebacks, all of them looked very inauspicious!"

He Luhua was shocked. "Was the Taoist priest tied up by them on the horseback?" she asked.

The Kazakh youth shook his head, "I did not see it clearly," he said, "The Taoist priest was riding in the middle of the Lamas' horses, he carried a dejected appearance. Their horses galloped really fast, we did not get out of the way fast enough and had to suffer several whip lashes."

"Which direction were they going?" Zhuo Yihang asked.

The Kazakh youth said, "The direction we were coming from."

"So they were also heading toward the Taklamakan desert," Zhuo Yihang said.

After thinking for half a day, suddenly Zhuo Yihang took out several snow lotus herbs from his sack. "What do you think of this snow lotus herb?" he asked. Zhuo Yihang picked these snow lotus herb flowers on Tianshan's northern peak when he went to visit Reverend Hui Ming. Each flower had several dozens of petals, stacked on top of each other in layers, so that it looked like a snowball.

Those Kazakh people exclaimed in astonishment; they said, "We have never seen such a big snow lotus herb; where did you find it?"

With a chuckle Zhuo Yihang said, "I want to trade these several flowers of snow lotus herb with a camel and a tent. Would you trade?"

Those Kazakh people were very fair; they said, "Camels are easy to find, snow lotus herb are rare. These flowers worth far more than a camel."

Zhuo Yihang said, "To me, a camel is hard to find, snow lotus herb is easy to pick. If you are willing, let's trade."

The Kazakh people were delighted; they threw in some tools which would be very useful in the desert, and some dry rations.

Early in the morning the next day, Zhuo Yihang bade farewell to his Kazakh friends, and rode on the camel with He Luhua, heading straight to the west.

"Why do you want a camel?" He Luhua asked, "Camel is slower than our running speed?"

"The Taklamakan desert is actually a string of smaller deserts linking north and south of the border, yellow sand spread out for thousands of li," Zhuo Yihang explained, "You are not accustomed to the desert, how are we going to cross the desert if we do not have this camel?"

He Luhua said, "How can my father travel together with that crowd of Lamas? I cannot think it through. Could it be that he is kidnapped? But my father has never been beyond the Great Wall before, let alone having some business with those Lamas. This is just too strange."

Zhuo Yihang remembered his encounter with the Tibetan Lamas of the Tian Long Pai, which resulted in some grudges between them. "Perhaps it is Tian Long Pai's doing," he thought, "But how could they know he is my Shishu? Besides, in our Sect, Shishu White Stone's swordsmanship can be reckoned as first or second best, how did he fall into their treacherous hands?" He could not think it through either; thereupon he said, "Since we now know that they are entering the great desert, all we need to do is follow their trail and gather some information."

The yellow sand spread over thousands of li uninhabited land over the great desert, luckily the two of them were travelling together, so they could keep each other company. He Luhua was only young girl of seventeen or eighteen years of age, plus this was the very first time she travelled beyond the Great Wall, so to her, the desert scenery was very fascinating. She also asked a lot of questions about all kinds of Jianghu affairs. Zhuo Yihang chatted with her almost all day long that he was not feeling too sad. Only whenever He Luhua asked him about Yu Luocha Zhuo Yihang would answer her with a smile without saying anything, or try do talk about other things.

Without even realizing it, they had travelled for half a month. They frequently found tracks of camel or horse footprints, yet when they tried to follow the tracks, oftentimes they would be covered or altered by sandstorms. After traveling these many days without leaving the desert, He Luhua started to be distressed.

One day toward the twilight a gust of wind was blowing straight to them, the yellow sand was starting to rise. Zhuo Yihang said, "It seems like there will be a sandstorm tonight, we'd better find some place sheltered from the wind to erect our tent."

---------------------------------------------------
[3]A type of standing harp, with 5-25 strings.

[4]God/Heavens.

[5]Or Ili, a modern day Kazakh autonomous prefecture.

[SkyWalker]

Thanks for the update foxs.

Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers out there!

[Fighting_Wind]

Thank you foxs for the translation! I've been very busy with uni lately so comment replying is so slow =(. I lied how he cried when he sang that song but what annoys me if it was at the heaven's passion and heaven grows old verse, is looks all that matters? I hope He Luhua doesn't like ZYH >.>

I hope you had a good mother's day foxs!

ZYH did have it tough but he was really callous towards YLC and put no effort into her and would have left her to die and almost killed her. I think that's too far. What annoys me was he did not even take an active role in trying to mediate between his clan and his love.

In the movie ZYH was in the same dilemma, the reason I can better relate to the one in the movie is that he actually TRIED and cared for both.

[foxs]

Sure enough, that night the storm blew, the moon and the stars disappeared from the sky, the air was thick with yellow sand, as if the whole world was covered with thick yellow screen. Zhuo Yihang picked a good place to put up the tent, he tied big rocks on all sides, he also kept the camel outside the opening of the tent as a wall to stop the sandstorm. The strong wind blew over the tent, creating all kinds of scraping noise.

"I did not expect the storm beyond the Great Wall to be this terrible," He Luhua said.

Zhuo Yihang laughed and said, "Right now it is not the stormy season yet; if it is, the sand dunes will be moved by the wind. If caught in the storm, people and animals will also be blown to the air. Other than huge beasts like the camel, no one can withstand it. This storm cannot be considered big, I think it will be over very soon."

A moment later, the storm did indeed abate. The two of them were about to sleep when suddenly outside the tent the camel neighed. Zhuo Yihang dashed out of the tent, and saw two dark shadows who quickly ran away from the camel. Zhuo Yihang raised his hand and called out, "The storm has not stopped completely, why don't the two of you come in and visit with us inside the tent?"

The two men stopped on their tracks and went back. To Zhuo Yihang's surprise, they were wearing Han people's attire. The one on the front replied respectfully, "Our horses are collapsed by the wind and suffocated, they cannot be used anymore. Since Sire invites us in, we have nothing else to hope.” Thereupon the two of them followed Zhuo Yihang in.

Zhuo Yihang was fully aware that those two were going to steal the camel, but remembering the dangerous sandstorm and the fact that they did not have any ride, he thought wanting to steal camel was understandable; hence he did not say anything and simply received them politely.

These two Han men had sabers hanging on their waists, their faces were ugly and ferocious-looking. He Luhua signaled Zhuo Yihang with her eyes, her expression showed her dislike. Zhuo Yihang smiled and said, “The desert night is cold, let’s build a fire and boil some water.”

He Luhua built a fire and poured some water from the water sack into a copper pot. She said, “Why don’t you build a furnace? Otherwise how are we going to put the pot over the fire?”

Zhuo Yihang looked around and said with a laugh, “There are no gravels around here, and we cannot take the rock holding down the tent. What should I do?”

The two Han men said, “Please do not bother Sire, we have been in the desert for a long time, we are used to suffer the cold.”

“Why do we have to suffer?” Zhuo Yihang said, “Let me think of something.” He looked around again and said, “I got it! Let’s have a try.” He brought one of the big rocks holding down the tent inside. Quietly he gathered his cultivated internal strength into his palms and then suddenly he slammed both palms down while shouting, “Open up!” The big rock split into four pieces. He laughed and said, “I think this will work!” and quickly set the rocks into a furnace. The two men stared with open mouths; they were speechless.

Zhuo Yihang knew these two men were bad people, therefore, he intentionally made a show of his skill, yet he maintained his composure and chatted with them as if nothing happened.

By the time the water boiled, the storm outside had stopped. The two men drank their warm water and took their leave, saying, “Thank you very much Sire for your hospitality.”

“Isn’t it inconvenient to hasten on your journey in the night?” Zhuo Yihang asked.

The two men replied, “We are always running around all year long, we are used to it. Now it is not the storm season, so the wind rarely blows. After this storm, the wind won’t blow again in three, five days; it doesn’t make any difference whether we travel during the day or during the night. Besides, Sire has a female family member with him, it is not convenient for us to disturb you.”

He Luhua blushed, Zhuo Yihang said, “In that case, I wish the two of you a safe and pleasant journey,” as he sent them off outside the tent.

The two men suddenly turned around and asked, “Would Sire tell us your illustrious name so that we can repay you back in the future?”

“Such a trivial matter, it’s not worth mentioning,” Zhuo Yihang said. The two men looked at each other, and then left after expressing their thanks again.

Zhuo Yihang went back into the tent. He Luhua complained, “It’s hard to fathom a person’s mind, why didn’t you ask clearly before inviting them in?”

Zhuo Yihang said, “We are chivalrous people, how can we see people in distress and not help?”

He Luhua said, “Those two men are ugly and ferocious looking, I was disgusted as soon as I saw them. They are definitely not good people. Luckily you showed you skill and scared them off. I am guessing that they had bad intentions and quickly left only after your demonstration.”

Zhuo Yihang laughed and said, “It’s over now, no need to make wild guesses.”

“Dage,” He Luhua said, “Your martial art skill is really good. Just with the strike of your palms that big rock split into four pieces. I don’t think even my father can do that. I believe that in our Sect, other than Er Shibo, no one else has this kind of skill. No wonder all Shishu are determined to ask you back to the mountain.”

Zhuo Yihang said, “Damo ancestor’s martial art skill is inconceivably extensive and profound, what I know is merely a superficial knowledge. Only if we can uncover the Damo ancestor’s secret, our Wudang Pai will truly be unequalled under the heaven.”

By this time Zhuo Yihang had already made an oath: for as long as he live, he would never return to Mount Wudang. However, to repay the kindness of his master and school, he must by all means uncover the Wudang’s highest secret. If he happened to die beyond the Great Wall, he would commission Xin Longzi to continue his endeavor.

The sandstorm stopped, the night was growing deep, after chatting for a while, they went to sleep. After those two men left, He Luhua had nothing to worry about, so she slept soundly, snoring lightly. The fire cast its weak light onto her apple-pink face; there was a fascinating spirit of a young girl on her childlike appearance. Zhuo Yihang sighed quietly, he could not help but remember the time he met Yu Luocha for the first time in the Yellow Dragon Cave. At that time Yu Luocha was also sleeping with a naive, guiltless expression on her face. He remembered how he was afraid she might catch cold, so he gently took off his own coat and covered her up with it ... And then his thoughts took an abrupt turn, he remembered the phrase 'From time immemorial, beautiful women are just like famous generals, they would never let people see them growing old'. He remembered his own failure in raising a family, while the years were rolling by like a stream, totally beyond his control.

Despair and anxiety surged into his heart like a tide, Zhuo Yihang was unable to sleep for quite a long time. Noticing the fire was almost gone, he was just thinking of adding some more fuel to it when suddenly the camel outside the tent let out a long neigh. "Could it be those two fellows are back?" Zhuo Yihang mused.

He was about to stand up when with a sharp noise the tent ripped open; the wind blew in, a cold ray flashed, a shiny flying dagger flew in. Zhuo Yihang shouted and caught the flying dagger between his index and middle fingers. Flinging the dagger down, he pulled out his sword and with the White Snake Leaves the Hole style, the tip of his sword dashed out and circled to all directions to guard against sneak attack. In the wake of the flickering sword, his body also dashed out the tent. Yet the enemy outside did not shoot any more secret projectiles.

In the dark of the night Zhuo Yihang was able to vaguely see the silhouettes of three big-statured people running westwards. Zhuo Yihang angrily shouted, "Camel thieves, I kindly invited you in to avoid the sandstorm, yet you are repaying kindness with evil; you still dare to take your companion to secretly commit an evil act. If I don't punish you today, the justice of heaven won't be served!" With sword in his hand, like a tornado he stormed forward; in an instant he had caught up with the three men.

Zhuo Yihang was under the impression that two of those three men were his guests earlier. To his surprise, however, as soon as he caught up with them, the three men suddenly turned around and barked, "Your old man has roamed the area beyond the Great Wall, if I want to steal, I would steal a rare treasure; why would I want to steal your camel?"

[SkyWalker]

Thanks for the update foxs.

[foxs]

Another man sneered, "I want to see what ability the Wudang Pai's Sect Leader has! Is it worth our Incense Master to spend so much effort in specifically delivering the invitation?"

Those three men wore black cotton cloth masks on their faces; the voices of those two men were rather hoarse, definitely they were not the two Han men earlier. The other masked man did not say anything; he was only giggling coldly.

Zhuo Yihang was startled, these three masked men's demeanor and speech were so strange that it was completely beyond his expectations! First of all, listening to their tone, they seemed to be some people of prominent background, however, launching a sneak attack like that could be considered a despicable conduct in the Wulin world, which was usually committed by thieves, not by people who speak like that. Secondly, the title 'incense master' was an important position within the clans and societies in the Central Plains; what relation did these people in the remote area beyond the Great Wall have with the 'incense hall' organization in the Central Plains?

Although for the last several years Zhuo Yihang had gained a vast amount of experience, he had no clue about the origin of these people. At first he thought these masked men were Lamas of the Tibetan Tian Long Pai, but they spoke a fluent Chinese, so it was unlikely that they were Tibetans.

By this time both sides were like arrows strung on a bow, Zhuo Yihang did not have the luxury of carefully considering his options. The two men who spoke earlier turned around and attacked him. One with a pair of judge pens in his hand, poking, striking and stabbing very swiftly and fiercely; the other hacking and sweeping with his palms, generating strong gusts of wind, the strength of his palms was also very powerful.

Zhuo Yihang had never expected to meet such powerful masters in the great desert, he was shocked and rather frightened, but his spirit was aroused. Quickly he launched the Wudang's 72-style Sequential Sword Technique to fight the enemy. 'Shua! Shua!' quick as lightning his sword attacked the two men simultaneously.

The one with judge-pens moved his left-hand pen to divert the attack, while his right-hand pen struck slantingly down toward Zhuo Yihang's laugh acupoint on his waist. 'Clang!' sparks flew everywhere as two weapons collided, the judge-pen was pushed sideways, while the palm of Zhuo Yihang's hand felt hot.

Zhuo Yihang moved very nimbly, his 72-style Sequential Sword changing continuously. In a flash he moved sideways and launched three stances against the other enemy. This other man was also very formidable; he bent his knees to evade the first attack, stretched out one finger of his left hand, and struck with his right palm toward Zhuo Yihang's left arm. His finger stabbing, his palm hacking, he forced Zhuo Yihang's second attack to be skewed sideways, followed by his feet kicking the ground, 'swish!' his body slid about a zhang to the right and thus evaded the third attack. Unexpectedly all three swift and fierce attacks of Zhuo Yihang's school's unique skills were evaded by his half-offensive, half-defensive movement.

No sooner said than done, the masked man with judge-pens in his hands rushed over and attacked. The pens flew up at an angle, very fast yet powerful. Zhuo Yihang turned around to fend off while his leg swept across with Wudang Pai's Mandarin Ducks Chain-Kicks, which was as famous as the sword technique. This particular move was called top and bottom intersect in an attack, the sword and the leg were used together. If the masked man evaded the stabbing upward sword, he could not avoid the sweeping downward leg; if he evaded the sweeping downward leg, he would not be able to evade the stabbing upward sword. His situation was very critical.

Sword and leg flew simultaneously, the sword arrived first, the leg arrived later, the masked man had just raised his pen to parry the incoming sword, Zhuo Yihang's flying leg swept to the left and kick to the right, it already arrived at the man's heart. But in this instant, the other man who was forced by Zhuo Yihang to withdraw earlier leaped back in, delivering an attack with both of his palms. Surprisingly, it was the move Flying Eagle Catches the Rabbit from the Great Grappling Technique. If Zhuo Yihang's lower leg was caught, he would be toppled down immediately even if his martial art skill were stronger. Zhuo Yihang hastily pulled his leg back slightly, and flitted sideways about six, seven feet; he was inwardly very shocked, he had a feeling that he had seen this technique and footwork before.

The two masked men barked, "Where are you going?" From left and right they both pounced forward in a converging attack. The pens danced like a dragon or a snake, the palms generated loud gusts of wind, the combined force was overwhelming.

"Do you think I am scared of you?" Zhuo Yihang angrily said, "Looking at your status, you are not people of mediocre position, but you are actually committing a third-class shady business. What a pity!"

The man wielding the judge-pens roared in laughter and said, "We are only testing your skill, how can you consider it a third-class shady business?"

Zhuo Yihang did not want to waste time by arguing with him, unleashing his swordsmanship to its full potential he swiftly stabbed. Although the man said they were only testing his skill, the pair of judge pens always threatened thirty-six major acupoints on Zhuo Yihang's body without showing any leniency at all. The other man, the expert in Great Grappling Technique, attacked even more ruthlessly, as if they were fighting a strong archenemy!

Unleashing the result of his life-long training, Zhuo Yihang launched the 72-style Sequential Sword in continuous motion, like the billowing waves of Yangtze River, countering each attack with an attack. They were caught up in a fierce, inextricable battle.

Thirty, fifty stances later, they were still evenly matched. Two out of three masked men were fighting Zhuo Yihang, the third masked man was standing leisurely on the sideline watching the battle, letting out a laughter or two from time to time. Zhuo Yihang was wary, but he could not divide his attention to guard against this man's sneak attack. All along he was unable to guess what kind of men were these three?

During the raging battle, suddenly He Luhua rushed out of the tent and flew toward them. Zhuo Yihang worried over the powerful enemies, he called out, "Shimei, don't come here!" But how could she be willing to listen? Like a tornado she charged in! 'Shua!' she stabbed the phoenix eye acupoint of the man with the judge pens. The man flipped the pen backward to meet the sword. He Luhua was very slippery, turning around, she had already at the right side of the other man, the tip of her sword stabbed toward the spirit haste acupoint on the man's waist. The man turned one palm backhandedly, the wind of his palm brushed He Luhua's clothes. He Luhua jumped in fright. "How fierce!" she called out while dodging the attack.

He Luhua's swordsmanship came from the devoted teaching of Priest White Stone, although her level was far below Zhuo Yihang's, these two people were under the threat of Zhuo Yihang's swift and fierce sword, so they could not divert their attention to deal with her; moreover, her footwork was very agile, she slipped here and there, roved around, stabbing and slashing from left and right, top and bottom, threatening those two men's acupoints. Although they did not consider her a powerful enemy that they should be afraid of, they had no choice but to guard against her attacks.

And thus the battle situation underwent a great change. The two men had already entailed a strenuous effort in fighting Zhuo Yihang, now there was He Luhua who invaded and harassed them, hence very soon they were falling into a disadvantageous position.

The last masked man, who was standing on the side thus far, could not take it much longer. Suddenly he let out a long whistle as he pulled the leather belt from his waist and brandished it smoothly. 'Crack! Crack!' In his hand, the leather belt became a flexible whip, which circled in the air and swept down on Zhuo Yihang's shoulder. Zhuo Yihang sidestepped using the Treading on Seven Stars move; he spun around, and suddenly his body along with his sword had already behind the enemy, like the wind the tip of his sword stabbed forward. It was as if the masked man had eyes on the back of his head, without turning around, his whip coiled backward and struck down. Zhuo Yihang was greatly shocked and hastily retracted his sword. He did not expect the masked man to be proficient in 'listening to the wind to distinguish direction' technique, his martial art skill was also higher than the first two men.

Now that the man wielding the whip joined the battle, the situation changed again. With two against three, slowly Zhuo Yihang and He Luhua were hard-pressed until they were only able to defend without any chance to attack.

The man wielding the judge pen mocked again, "Ha, Wudang Sect Leader is only so-so! The Incense Master had overestimated him!"

[SkyWalker]

Thanks for another update foxs.

I still can't figure out who these 3 people are.

[ken2004]

Just wandering why ZYH always been outnumber and belittle by his opponent which is the other way round compared to the likes of YMK and YLS.

[foxs]

You are welcome, SkyWalker. You'll find out soon enough. Ken, good question ...
-----------------------------

Zhuo Yihang was enraged, his sword revolved, like an eagle diving into the forest, a giant bird swooping over its prey, the tip of the sword moved away from the man wielding the whip, in a move called Ferocious Fowl Seize the Grain, the sword flashed toward the eyeballs of the man wielding the pen. The man launched the move Supporting Horizontal Golden Beam, his pair of pens went up horizontally to block the sword. Who would have thought that it was only a feign attack on Zhuo Yihang's part. With a bluish flash the sword circled down and pierced forward; 'rip!' a big hole appeared at the front of that man clothes. Luckily he managed to evade quickly, otherwise the sword would pierce his abdomen all the way to the side of his body.

The masked man wielding the judge pen was frightened that his body was drenched in cold sweat. Zhuo Yihang's sword technique was so strange that it was beyond their anticipation. The man wielding the whip even exclaimed in surprise, because to his surprise it was not part of Wudang's 72-style Sequential Sword Technique. It was like a wave appeared suddenly on a flat land, like a strange peak arose prominently; it came swiftly yet vanished quietly, so unpredictable that it was virtually impossible to guard against.

After several stances in succession, the three masked men were repeatedly forced backwards. Obviously these three men had never dreamed that these moves were Wulin's ultimate skill, the long lost Damo Sword Style. These three masked men were used to face a powerful enemy together; seeing Zhuo Yihang’s strange moves, they withdrew as if by prior agreement and formed a joint defense.

Although Damo Sword Style was formidable, Zhuo Yihang only knew several stances. It was sufficient to be used in a surprise attack, but quite useless in a prolonged battle. Several stances later, the enemy was able to see the actual situation, hence they pressed in forward again. Zhuo Yihang did not have any choice but to fight the enemy using Wudang’s 72-style Sequential Sword Technique again, intermingled with the Damo Sword Style.

Thirty to fifty stances of intense battle later, Zhuo and He, two people, were in a very difficult position. The three masked men tightened their encirclement. Fortunately Zhuo Yihang’s mastery of the sword skill was thorough, He Luhua’s movements were quick and skillful, so they were able to hold for the time being.

The masked man wielding the whip’s murderous intentions was aroused, he launched the Whirling Wind Sweeping the Willow, his whip generated a whooshing noise as it attacked violently. Zhuo Yihang’s heart was stirred, suddenly he shouted, “Senior Huo, why do you repeatedly treat me as your enemy?”

This masked man was precisely Huo Yuanzhong, who climbed the Tianshan’s southern peak earlier and defeated by Yu Luocha. Huo Yuanzhong’s flexible whip was renowned in the Wulin world. Because one, he was wearing a mask, and two, he was using a leather belt as the whip, Zhuo Yihang did not recognize him immediately.

Huo Yuanzhong let out a cold laugh and said, “Where is your Yu Luocha?”

Zhuo Yihang said angrily, “If you have any enmity with Yu Luocha, then go and find her. In vain you are being a hero of the senior generation yet committing this kind of rat-stealing, dog-groping kind of shady business, throwing daggers and shooting arrows in the dark. If I tell this to Wulin friends, I want to see where you are going to put your thick face at?”

Huo Yuanzhong laughed aloud and said, “Who is plotting against you? Go back to your tent and look, I was only delivering an invitation for you! Someone else is delivering an invitation to Yu Luocha. If you have guts, then come to our meeting!” Finished speaking, he laughed aloud again before calling out, “Enough testing. What do you think, as a guest of your Incense Master, this kid won’t let you down, will he?” Moving his whip in a half-circle, he parried Zhuo Yihang's incoming sword, and then withdrew immediately.

Zhuo Yihang was stunned, he did not realize that when he was busy talking with Huo Yuanzhong and did not pay attention to the other two masked men, they suddenly launched a killer move toward He Luhua. While the man with the judge pen was fending off He Luhua's sword, the other man formed his left hand into a claw to capture her wrist, and delivered a blow toward her chest with his right palm. Since her sword was entangled by the man with the judge pen, He Luhua was unable to evade. She felt the palm wind was as sharp as a blade, the palm had already reached her clothes; she could not refrain from screaming.

Just in that instant, there was another scream, followed by a heavy thud as someone fell to the ground. Turned out it was Zhuo Yihang who pounced forward to save her, using the stance Rushing Through the River from the Damo Sword Style to pierce the man's palm. However, because he was rushing to help, while flying forward, his shoulder was hit by the man's claw that he screamed from the burning pain.

"Are you hurt?" Huo Yuanzhong called out to his companion. Without saying anything the man with the judge pen picked up his companion and carried him on his back, and then he turned around and ran away.

"Zhuo Yihang," Huo Yuanzhong called out, "If you are not afraid someone will avenge this, we'll meet again at the Feng Sha Tie[6] Fort!" Zhuo Yihang simply let out several cold laughs, he held his sword, but did not pursue.

"Dage," He Luhua asked, "Are you injured by his ghostly hand?"

"It's nothing," Zhuo Yihang replied, "Let's go back."

"Do you know them?" He Luhua asked again, "They said they only wanted to test you, why were they so vicious?"

"I only know that man with the leather belt is Huo Yuanzhong," Zhuo Yihang said.

"Hm, Huo Yuanzhong," He Luhua said, "He has some grudges against my father. I think my father has fallen under their treacherous plot."

Zhuo Yihang was surprised, "What grudges?" he asked, "I have never heard Shishu White Stone ever mention it."

He Luhua said, "It was after we arrived beyond the Great Wall that I heard about it. According to my father, about thirty years ago Huo Yuanzhong came to Wudang to discuss martial arts with him; unwilling to accept that Wudang Sword Technique is number one in the world, he challenged father for a duel. Within thirty stances father managed to stab him with a sword. He asked him if he surrender. That Huo Yuanzhong was stubborn, he shut his mouth and did not answer. My father stabbed him one more time, and thus he was compelled to surrender and that was the end of it."

Zhuo Yihang sighed and said, "When Shishu was young, he must have been a very proud man." Actually, even after he grew old, Priest White Stone’s temperament had not changed.

“You’re right,” He Luhua said, “In this mater father was indeed a bit too much. That’s the reason was he and I traveled beyond the Great Wall this time, he told me that there is no martial art master in this area, but we must guard against Huo Yuanzhong, since he might want to avenge his defeat thirty years ago.”

Zhuo Yihang said, “Based on Huo Yuanzhong’s martial art, at best he is currently on the same level as your father; it is unlikely that your father has fallen under his treacherous plot. I am afraid there are more people involved in this matter.”

“That’s right,” He Luhua said, “Didn’t Huo Yuanzhong just now mention something about Feng Sha Tie Fort? He also mentioned something about invitation. Perhaps he has more companions and delivered the invitation to our tent on their behalf! We must guard against them!”

While speaking, they have arrived outside their tent. Zhuo Yihang lighted up his flint while pushing the tent curtain open with his sword. He looked inside, only to see the dying fire; there was no one else inside. He Luhua went inside and put some straw, which was originally to feed the camel, into the fire. “Huo Yuanzhong talked nonsense! Where is the invitation?” she wondered aloud.

Zhuo Yihang’s eyes were sharper, he glanced toward the flying dagger he tossed to the ground a moment ago, and indeed, there was a piece of paper skewered on the dagger’s blade. Quickly he lifted it up and said, “Oh, turns out the invitation is here.” Delivering an invitation on a dagger blade was actually a common custom of the Jianghu, it was not meant to offend anybody, and therefore, it could not be considered a sneak attack.

Zhuo Yihang read the invitation and laughed, “I am still wondering how that old fellow Huo Yuanzhong could do such a shady business, a person with a status such as his? What kind of people could make him agree to deliver the invitation?”

He Luhua came over to look at the invitation, it said, “We have long heard Wudang Pai dominates the Central Plains; it’s a pity that due to the tens of thousands li separation over the mountain pass, we have no opportunity to ask for guidance. Today since the respected Sect Leader has already travelled far to this remote area, why not take advantage of the closer proximity to make friendship? On the seventh day of the seventh month, at the fort awaiting for your instructions. The Fort Master of Feng Sha Fort respectfully invites.”

Zhuo Yihang knitted his eyebrows as he said, “Must be that blabbermouth Huo Yuanzhong; he told people everywhere that I am the Sect Leader of Wudang Pai, so much so that it draws this kind of invitation. How can I have the mood to vie for supremacy in the Wulin?”

He Luhua said, “For my father’s sake, even if you did not want to vie for supremacy, you still have to fight.”

“Those Kazakh people said your father was travelling with a group of Lamas,” Zhuo Yihang said, “He may not be at the Feng Sha Fort.”

“This is at least a clue,” He Luhua said.

“Be that as it may, we still do not know where the Feng Sha Fort is situated,” Zhuo Yihang replied. His wounded shoulder was throbbing with pain.

-----------------------------
[6]Lit. Wind, Sand and Iron.